Marine Cleared

The Marine who was filmed while shooting a wounded Iraqi terrorist in a Fallujah mosque has been cleared by the Corps’ investigation, and will not be court-martialed. The investigation found that the Marine acted in what he reasonably believed to be defense of himself and his fellow Marines, and consistently with the applicable rules of engagement, which allowed American forces to fire first if they perceived hostile intent. The investigators also found support for the Marine’s defense in the video of the shooting:

According to the Marine Corps, an enhanced videotape of the shooting supports the corporal’s claim that the wounded Iraqi was concealing his left arm behind his head. Although the Marines said it was unclear from the video whether the Iraqi made any overtly threatening gestures, enemy forces commonly feigned death.